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This morning I went to the dentist. I hate going to the dentist! I went at 7:30AM because thinking about the appointment all day would make my anxiety grow by the hour. This way I wake up and go straight there and get it over. I take my phone and ear buds along with me to listen to, a dose of anti-anxiety medicine, and the dentist provides comforting words, gentle work and a supply of Nitrous Oxide (https://www.google.com/search?q=nitrous+oxide&oq=nitrous+o&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.2956j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8). When I first went to the dentist we sat and talked about my anxiety and claustrophobia issues. He understood and has done a fantastic job making me feel the least anxiety as possible. After it was over I left, slightly woozy but two teeth which needed fillings done completely.

The dentist is one of those things in life you don’t want to do but know have to be done. Know matter how much worry, dread, and procrastination, sooner or later you have to go and if it’s too much later you will regret it. As the numbing in my lips and gums wore off I thought about other things in life we don’t like to do but should. Forgiving people who have hurt us, asking forgiveness of those we have offended, reflecting on difficult and painful situations and asking; “What did I learn?”, allowing wisdom to search the deepest places in our lives, filling the holes in our minds, emotions, and spirits to be filled with kindness, love, and grace. These are never easy but waiting until we are ready might mean we never reach a place of healing and peace.

Last week I wrote about falling down and scraping up my knee (Futility https://thewannabesaint.com/2017/03/02/futility/). The good news is the healing is coming along nicely. The bad news is the scab keeps getting caught on the insides of my pants or after I get a shower, it becomes soft and after it dries out, only to harden again, it hurts when I bend my knee. I can literally feel the scab cracking. Today, after I had gotten my shower I sat down to begin doing some office work and pulled my knees up “Indian style” and the scab reminded me again the wound has not fully healed.

Reflecting on the knee, the falling, the scabbing and the slow but sure healing I am reminded that there are times in life where something or someone wounds us. It may be a purposeful attack or carelessness but the wound is still there and we desire healing. Wisdom teaches us that oftentimes the healing is slow and as we return to health the wound still hurts us physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. Our wish is to heal, to no longer be in pain, and for it to happen as quickly as possible. However, perhaps the wound has something to teach us about letting go, forgiving, moving on, true recovery and redemption.